Beloved’s letter rescues Haryana man

Over two decades after he was convicted of raping and murdering his beloved, a letter (treated as a suicide note) written by the girl to her parents has helped Sat Parkash get acquitted of all charges. The Supreme Court last week ordered the release of the Haryana resident after acquitting him.

The girl in her note had confessed to her love and stated she was as “pure as Ganges” leading to dropping of the charges against the accused.

The case dates to June 1992 when 15-year-old Kumari Sushila, alias Punam, was found murdered in Ganaur in Sonepat district of Haryana. The police arrested Sat Parkash for kidnapping, raping and murdering her. Police said that Sat Parkash had enticed her to his home where he had sex with the minor girl (thus charges of rape) and then poisoned her.

In October next year, the Sonepat Sessions Court convicted him of all these charges, assenting with the police theory. The case reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court which convicted him of rape and kidnapping while exonerating him of the murder charge.

Sat Parkash appealed in the Supreme Court, which relied significantly on the suicide note that Sushila had addressed to her parents. She said she was “committing suicide because I only need Satto (Sat Parkash) whom I cannot get while I am alive and will get him after death.”

She added, “If I wanted I could have run away from home after taking money, but I did not do so. I have loved Satto, and by dying, I am leaving this writing as proof of my true love. After my death, no one should make any allegation against me because I am pious as the Ganges. If anyone of you remembers me, then remember Satto prior to me.” (sic)

Both Sushila and Sat Parkash attempted suicide, but Sat Parkash survived. The Supreme Court observed that there was no evidence to prove Sat Parkash’s guilt.

“The dying declaration of Sushila indicates that she had committed suicide, rather than having married the appellant, Sat Parkash, by disregarding the wishes of the family. There is, therefore, substantial material on the record of this case to establish, that the deceased Sushila had not been persuaded or compelled to marry the appellant, Sat Parkash, before she committed suicide,” said the court while acquitting Parkash.